Partners
by Bonify
Summary: The McSwarek childhood AU fic. Disclaimer: I do not own Rookie Blue
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I changed the age gap to make the story more plausible. Can't have a 5 year old be best friends with a 15 year old if you want a childhood AU, can we? Also, it wasn't clear in 5x06 when exactly Jay Swarek got out of prison, so for this story I'm saying he got out when Sam was 7, was in and out, and went back when Sam lied to police when he was 15. I posted this on my tumblr, too, but wanted more feedback.

* * *

_Andy: 6 years old_

_Sam: 9 years old_

Andy watched from her bedroom window as her new neighbors moved into the house next door. She caught a glimpse of a girl earlier, but she looked much older than Andy and went straight into the house, not reappearing since they arrived an hour ago. So, she probably wasn't a good candidate for a friend.

Andy didn't have many girl friends anyways. Mostly she tried to keep up with the boys. They were better at basketball.

Speaking of, it looked like the girl had a brother. He had been pouring over a book, but as Andy looked on, a large man with a mean face tore the book from his hands. The man, who she assumed to be his father, slapped the boy on the back of the head and apparently ordered him to help with boxes, because the next second he was scurrying towards the rental moving van.

Andy sucked in a loud breath. When she let it out five seconds later, it crept over her window and fogged up the glass. Her brows furrowed as she tried to understand this family. She didn't know dads could hit their children. Her daddy would never hit her.

"Andy, honey, dinner's ready!"

She turned to answer her mother's call with one last look at the dark-haired boy. He stumbled slightly under the weight of a box, but kept up his jogging pace until he entered the house.

Later, after dinner and her bath and after her parents had said goodnight, she crept back to her window to peek out again. She could see a light on through the window right across from hers. The boy she saw earlier suddenly appeared, leaning his head against the glass to stare at the yard below.

Before long, something made him look up and their eyes met. Andy waved at him, not willing to miss an opportunity to make a friend, but for a long time he only gazed back at her. Then, slowly, he raised a hand in greeting, though he let it fall quickly.

Andy waited until he turned away, no longer able to be seen, before she went back to her bed and lay down. _Tomorrow_, she decided,_ I'll find out his name._

She'd always wanted a brother.

* * *

_Andy: 7_

_Sam: 10_

"Sam! Wait up!" Andy's bag bounced against her back as she raced to intercept him. "Let me come with you," she begged. Her puppy-dog face made a full appearance, and Sam had to turn his head to resist it.

"Not this time Andy, I'm sorry." Her face fell.

"But we're partners! We always stick together." It was a phrase they'd made up shortly after they first met. Some local boys tried to stop Andy from playing basketball with them, but Sam made them include her. _What are you afraid of? Being beat by a girl?_ He taunted them until they gave in. Later, after their scrimmage, they were walking home when Andy softly punched his arm. _Thanks, partner._

"I'll only be gone two days. You won't even miss me," he told her, nudging her shoulder with his as they continued the walk home from school.

"Yes I will," she mumbled. "What am I supposed to do without you?"

"Practice your cartwheel. It's terrible," he worked to keep a straight face, and was rewarded when Andy stopped in her tracks.

"It is not!" she protested.

He shrugged back at her. "Prove it," he dared.

And. Well. Andy McNally does not refuse a dare. She dropped her bag and stepped off the sidewalk onto the grass. Sam strolled back to where she was standing, trying to look bored. She took a few breaths and shook her hands out, then stretched her arms above her and leaned into a perfect cartwheel. As her feet swung into the air, Sam dropped his bag as well and, just as she planted her feet with a victorious look on her face, launched a tickle attack against her.

Soon they were both on the ground, laughing until their stomachs hurt and they both called for mercy. They stayed on the cool grass for a while, side by side as they watched clouds crawl through the blue sky. Finally, Sam stood with a sigh and pulled Andy up too.

"I gotta get home. He hates it when I'm late." Andy knew from observation that it was best not to aggravate Sam's father.

They collected their bags and set off once more.

"Hey, how many tickles does it take to make an octopus laugh?" Andy grinned at him and answered back.

"I don't know, how many?"

"Ten-tickles."

She giggled, repeating the punch line back to herself as if she liked the way it sounded. Sam shook his head at her, hiding a smile of his own. He knew his jokes weren't funny because Sarah never laughed at them, but if they made her happy, what was the difference?

* * *

_Andy: 9_

_Sam: 12_

They were sitting in the tree that grew right in the middle between their houses, Andy swinging her feet nervously, Sam staring broodily ahead. "So…" Andy tried to speak, but her voice faltered. She cleared her throat and tried again.

"So, he's back out, huh." It wasn't a question, but she still looked over at him. A dark bruise was forming beneath his left eye. It drew her gaze, and she found she couldn't stop looking at it. Sam said nothing, as she expected.

"You can stay at my house tonight if you want." Again, he didn't respond. They both knew his father wouldn't let him.

She reached out to touch two fingers to the mark, causing Sam to turn his head towards her. His eyes held more moisture in them than usual, but they were hard, unwilling to show any emotion other than anger. Her hand fell back to lie on the branch they were sitting on.

She didn't tell him it was going to be okay. She didn't promise him it would get better. But when her hand inched over to cover his, he blew out a long breath and knew that however bad it got at home, she'd always be a house away.

"Partners." His voice was only a whisper.

"Partners," she answered.

* * *

_Andy: 11_

_Sam: 14_

"You're too old for this Andy," Sam panted as he pushed her higher and higher on the swing set.

"Pffft. No, _you're _too old for this. I'm not a teenager yet." She twisted her head around to look back at him and stuck her tongue out.

He huffed out a laugh. "Fine. You're too heavy for this," he amended, but continued to push.

Andy loved the swings. The higher, the better. Sometimes- if she timed it just right- when she jumped off at the highest point, she felt weightless for half a second.

With that feeling in mind, she worked her legs harder, leaning into the motion to get more momentum going. She was still all knees and elbows, her skinny body waiting for puberty to kick in, and her lack of weight made it difficult to get high enough. Just as Sam started to say "Be careful!"- sometimes Andy was too eager for her own good- she launched off the swing.

She landed hard, making Sam cringe, but sprang right back up to her feet, her eyes wide and shining and her smile huge even as her knees shook a bit from the impact still jarring through her.

_This girl._

"That was awesome!"

He rolled his eyes. "You say that every time."

"Yeah but that probably was the best one ever," Andy insisted.

"Come on, the street lights just came on. You gotta get home." He did too, but didn't want to acknowledge the fact that he still had a before-dark curfew at the age of 14.

She agreed easily enough, but made Sam carry her piggy-back style most of the way home. The first time she wanted a ride, he'd almost refused, but her whines of _but Sam, what's the point of a big brother if he won't give me piggy-back rides? _got to him. That was when he was 9. And yeah, he had an older sister, but-

He'd never been a big brother before he met Andy.

He liked the responsibility. Felt like he was in charge of something, for once in his life.

So, yeah. Andy gets rides whenever she wants, even when boys in his class tease him for it.

* * *

_Andy: 12_

_Sam: 15_

They were walking up the block coming home from the local pool when they saw the squad cars in front of Sam's house.

Their pace slowed for a couple seconds and they exchanged looks before continuing.

"Sam Swarek?" an officer asked as they made their way up his driveway.

Sam nodded his head.

"We just need to ask you a couple of questions. Is that okay with you?" He looked to his mother, who was a few paces away, shuffling her feet and looking anywhere but at him, chewing her nails nervously.

"Yes," he answered. Andy had stopped beside him, and reached out now to hold his hand.

_Partners_, the gesture said.

"Do you remember what you did yesterday?" Sam didn't answer right away, but thought back over his day. It was a Saturday. He was forced to spend most of his day watching Millionaire with his pop. Eventually, he nodded.

"We believe your father may have been involved in a robbery that took place yesterday afternoon, but he says he was at home with you. Is that true?"

He opened his mouth to say "yes" but stopped himself. _What would happen if I said no? They already think he's guilty._ Visions of future Saturdays and Sundays and all other days without the presence of his father looming over him suddenly surfaced in his mind. _We can be free of him. They'll take him away._ He looked over to Andy. She held his gaze steadily, a rock in the sea of hope that was crashing into him. He tightened his grip on her hand.

She knew his father was with him all afternoon. He had complained about it to her in between water polo matches.

"You can tell us the truth, son."

He tore his eyes from hers and looked back at the officer.

"No," he stated, his voice much more solid than he expected. "He's lying. I didn't see him at all yesterday, besides breakfast."

The officer nodded and turned to his superior, said something Sam wasn't paying attention to anymore. He prayed he was convincing enough. His hand squeezed Andy's even tighter, but she didn't complain or try to let go. Just squeezed back.

end.

* * *

A/N: So I wanted to end it before the whole romance aspect would have come in, since it is a childhood AU, but let me know if you guys want more and I'll consider it.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I uhh… Hope this pleases you. Big thanks to Elena for giving me nothing but support and encouragement.**

* * *

_Andy: 12_

_Sam: 15_

Andy blinks her eyes open when her alarm goes off and sighs. She didn't get enough sleep- probably because her parents had been screaming at each other half the night. She wonders briefly if Sam had heard them, too. His house is right next door, and his bedroom is only a stone toss away from hers, windows facing each other. They had once tried to pass notes to each other via paper planes, but soon discovered their lack of aiming expertise combined with the slight breeze made for difficult conditions.

_This is impossible,_ Sam said after their eighth failed try.

_Nothing is impossible Sam, _she told him, but relented to his suggestion of just speaking to each other "like normal people." Andy's not convinced they're normal.

She drags herself out of bed and searches for the jeans she had dumped on the floor yesterday, yawning as she goes.

She casts a bleary-eyed glance through her window out of habit, but doesn't see Sam in his room. He's usually up before her since his school starts earlier.

As Andy heads downstairs, she notices her dad sitting on the couch with a bottle in his hand. Confused, she moves to stand in front of him, eyes fixed on the bit of dark liquid swirling around the bottom. She's 96% sure that bottle was full yesterday.

"Dad?"

Tommy looks up slowly, his eyes glazed over. "Dad, what's wrong?"

"She's gone."

"What? Who's gone?"

Pity now accompanies the sadness his red-rimmed eyes held when she first caught his attention. "Andy, honey. Your mother left. I don't… I don't think she's coming back." He chokes out the last sentence, his head falling to his hands.

"That's not true." Andy refuses to believe her mother would leave forever. "She's coming back. Dad, she's coming back." He only shakes his head.

Her breath is starting to wheeze a bit, a prelude to crying, she knows from experience. She backs away, then turns and races up the stairs again, into her parent's bedroom. The closet door is wide open, half the clothes missing. Her mother's things are gone from the bathroom. She knows without looking her suitcase would be absent from under the bed.

Tears are streaming down her face by the time she makes it out the front door. She gasps in a couple breaths, blinking to clear the watery haze and tries not to think too much. She hesitates, considering going to Sam's, but before she can decide what to do his door opens.

Sam shuts the door and strides down his porch steps, whistling quietly. He stops short when he sees Andy, his eyes widening.

"Hey…"

"Sam." Her face scrunches up as his name turns into a sob. "Sam."

The next thing she knows, his arms are around her, holding her tight. She tucks her face into his shoulder and pulls him even closer. He whispers soothing words to her, trying to calm her down enough to tell him what's wrong. One hand comes up to run over her hair.

At length, she quiets and her shoulders stop shaking. She pulls back to see his concerned gaze and answered his silent question.

"My mom left. My mom left us." She sniffs several times, but doesn't start crying again.

"Oh, Andy."

* * *

Later in the day, when Andy had run out of tears and her head is pounding and her eyelids are red and swollen, they sit together in their tree. Andy hadn't wanted to go too far, just in case Claire came back, so the oak between their houses is where they end up. They hadn't gone to school; Andy didn't think her dad noticed or cared.

Andy had been running the past years and months over and over in her mind, trying to figure out when exactly things started to go wrong. Finally, as the sun reached its highest point in the cloudless sky, she begins to accept that Claire is really gone.

Sam hadn't said a word since that morning- just let her slump against him, his arm wrapped around her to keep her safe from falling. Let her tears run onto his shirt, let her angry outbursts of words wash over him, let her silence sit between them undisturbed.

"Why wasn't I good enough?" Andy finally asks the question that has haunted her all day. "Why didn't she want to stay with me?"

"Andy, sweetheart, you are enough. You're more than enough."

"She left me here. Without even a note or anything." Her voice starts to have a wailing edge to it again, and Sam is suddenly furious at Claire for making Andy feel disposable.

"That's her loss," Sam says, swinging one leg over the branch to face her. "She's an idiot if she doesn't want you in her life. Hey." He scoots closer to her and lifts a hand to her face, gently turning it to make her look at him. "You're the kindest person I've ever known, Andy. You're smart and loving and brave. If she can't see that and want that, she's blind."

She casts her eyes down, trying to believe him. Trying to accept a life with only one parent, and suddenly appreciating a lot more what Sam has gone through his entire life. "Who's going to go my basketball games?" she mumbles. Tommy is always busy with work, but her mom usually makes it. She doesn't know why she is worried about her stupid games right now.

"I am."

Andy jerks her head up. He's staring at her, unwavering support emanating from his eyes. Of course Sam would be there. He is always there, cheering her on just a bit too loudly from the sidelines. Has been there since she was six years old, making sure she was even allowed to play. He has always been her biggest fan. How could she forget that?

"Yeah." She blows out a long breath, nodding. "Yeah, of course. We're gonna be okay, right?"

"Right. Partners."

The familiar promise seeps into her like water into cloth. She breathes it in and holds it for a moment; notices on her exhale how thoroughly tired she is.

* * *

_Andy: 13_

_Sam: 16_

Andy steps out of her bathroom, smoothing down her blouse nervously as she turns to Sam.

"Okay, how does this one look?" Sam groans exasperatedly, laying flat on his back on her bed.

"It looks fine Andy, just like the first four shirts."

"You're not even looking!"

"I don't need to look."

"Sam, this is my first date. I want to look good." He sighs deeply and props himself up on his elbows. He runs his eyes over her outfit for the fifth time that night.

Only, maybe if he's being honest with himself, he's looked at her tonight more times than she'd asked him to. Maybe, lately he's been looking at her a lot more than he should be. For god's sake, she's _thirteen_.

"You, uh. You look good, Andy. I like that one." He scowls, thinks about how _Mikey _will probably like it too.

"Yeah?" She turns back to her mirror, looking at herself from different angles. "Do you think he'll kiss me?" Her eyes suddenly go wide and she spins around. "Sam, I don't know how to kiss."

He scoffs, rolls his eyes a little. "It's not that hard, Andy, I'm sure you'll love it," he deadpans.

She frowns a bit, can't for the life of her figure out why he seems so sullen. "Easy for you to say, you kissed Tessatwo years ago and you were like, way out of her league, so you had nothing to worry about. Hey, what's with you today? You've been grumpy since you got here."

"Are you trying to say that pimply-faced kid is above you?" he laughs, but she can tell he is angry. "Andy, that kid is a loser, you could do better. And I'm not grumpy. I just don't get what you see in that guy."

He's on his feet now, voice raised a bit but trying his best not to yell at her. The last thing he wants is to upset her right now.

Andy shifts around a bit. She can't understand what his problem is. "I don't know. I mean. He asked me."

Sam stares at her. "He asked you. That's…" He sighs. "That's great." _He asked her, Christ, is that all he had to do?_

"What is happening, Sam? What's going on?" she asks slowly. Andy is smart, he knows that, but sometimes she could be really dense.

"Nothing. You look great Andy. I think you'll have a good time tonight," he says softly. "You still want a ride over?" She nods after a long pause. He fishes his keys out of his front pocket and smiles at her. "Let's go."

Andy spends the entire drive thinking about Sam's recent behavior. She gets fidgety, wondering if her conclusions are at all accurate. Glances at Sam every twenty seconds, as if that will help her figure anything out. After 7 years, Andy still has a hard time deciphering his expressions. When they pull into the theater's parking lot fifteen minutes later, she's clearly feeling nervous. Sam thinks if she squirms any more, she is bound to fall right off the seat.

"Hey. It's gonna be fine. What are you worried about?" He grabs her hands to stop her from wringing them together.

"Nothing," she says in a small voice.

"Andy, it's not nothing. Tell me what's bothering you." He squeezes her hands.

"I really don't know how to kiss," she admits, feeling supremely idiotic to be this concerned about something as dumb as kissing a boy.

Sam has an idea about showing her how. An image suddenly appears behind his eyes, unbidden, and he quickly forces it back to whatever crevice of his mind it came from.

_Don't do that. That's not what she wants._

But then, she's sort of angling towards him, like maybe she's looking to him for answers. Like maybe she wouldn't mind if he-

"It's…" He stops, inhales to try and clear his mind. And then:

"Can you- can you show me?"

Sam can't breathe. He gazes at her, trying to wrap his head around the fact that she'd let him-

"Unless you don't want to. That's fine. I should go." She's blushing furiously, fumbling around for the car door handle. He lunges across to stop her, but his seatbelt slams him back into his seat.

"Shit," he mumbles, scrambles to undo it. "Andy, wait." He reaches over again once he finally manages to work the stupid buckle, gets his hand on the back of her neck and pulls her to him.

He presses his lips to hers, nice and soft and closed-mouthed. Real nice, so he doesn't scare her. He pulls back after a while, just a little so he can see her face. Her eyes are still closed, her lips slightly parted and eyebrows up like she's surprised. She's prettier than anything, and _fuck_ she's young, but. She's Andy. She's his closest friend and the person who knows him best. She _knows _who he is and what he's done and all his mistakes and triumphs. And even after everything they've been through, she still looks at him like he means the world to her, which is just. Amazing. He is amazed by her.

He leans back in.

* * *

**A/N: Want more?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This one took longer than I expected, partially because another story messed with my vibe and had me second-guessing myself. Hope you all enjoy this chapter. Disclaimer: I still don't own Rookie Blue, or F.R.I.E.N.D.S., or football fields. Also, I don't have a beta, so apologies for any grammatical or spelling errors.**

* * *

_Andy: 14_

_Sam: 17_

* * *

"Shoot," Andy muttered under her breath when she heard Sam let himself in her front door. "Almost ready Sam, I'll be down in a sec!" she called down the stairs. He chuckled and took a seat at the kitchen table, grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl in the center. She was always running late, Andy was. _Like she never has enough time to do everything she wants to_, he thought as he peeled his breakfast.

He had just stuffed a chunk into his mouth when Tommy walked through the door in his work suit, looking like he hadn't slept in days.

"Sam," he greeted with a nod. The younger man swallowed before he had quite finished chewing so he could respond, causing his eyes to water a bit.

"Good morning. How was work? Tackling a big case?"

Tommy poured himself a drink and sat down heavily across from Sam. "You could say that. Got a murder case that's not looking too good right now. We're looking for new leads at this point."

"I'm sure you'll find what you need to help the family of the victim." Sam said after a pause.

Tommy peered at him, thinking. He had just reminded the detective why he started this job in the first place. "Are you thinking about joining the force, son?"

Sam took another bite of his banana, chewed slowly and glanced upstairs where they could hear Andy's hurried footsteps. "Maybe. I'm not sure yet."

Andy hastily pulled some crew socks on and felt under her bed for her hiking boots. She jammed her feet into them and flew down the stairs.

"Hey, Dad." She pecked his cheek quickly and sat down on the floor to tie up her laces. Sam grinned.

"You do know there are chairs two feet away from you?" Andy raised her eyebrows.

"You do know there's banana on your face?" He immediately wiped his hand over his mouth. She laughed and hopped up as she finished her knots. "I'm just teasing. You ready?"

"Yup," he answered, glaring playfully. "So you can walk, I'll meet you there." He rattled his keys and smirked.

She rolled her eyes. "Like you would let me walk anywhere alone. C'mon, let's go. See you later, Dad. Get some sleep, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. You kids stay safe."

* * *

"So why'd you want to come up here anyway? You hate camping." They were sitting on a rock, sharing a power bar and enjoying the cool breeze.

He smiled at her. "This isn't camping." She rammed her shoulder against his, maybe a little harder than she meant to.

"You know what I mean. Nature, and stuff." He looked back to the view they had from the top of their short hike. From here they could see most of Toronto.

"I guess I wanted to see the city." They had left early enough that the morning sun was now sitting on the horizon, light filtering through the buildings and chasing away the last remnants of night.

"It's beautiful." Andy felt his gaze settle on her.

"Yeah, it is."

He caught the distant wail of a siren and a phrase ran through his mind. _Serve and Protect._ He thought about joining the force frequently. He didn't have the money for college, but he could go the police academy right out of high school. _Serve and Protect._ He could do that for Toronto. For his sister, for Andy. For himself.

* * *

_Andy: 15_

_Sam: 18_

* * *

It was the start of Andy's sophomore year at Valley High, and she found herself at the first football game of the season. She'd only gone to one or two her freshman year- she and Sam usually found something better to do- but Zach had wanted to come. She hoped to see Sam here at some point, since she didn't know Zach's friends very well, but wasn't holding her breath. Sam disliked Zach; said he was bad news.

They were hanging out under the bleachers, doing and talking about nothing of interest, and Andy was starting to regret coming. A huge roar sounded from the crowd above them and their school's band started another round of the fight song.

_TOUCHDOOOWN, VALLEY!_

She glanced up at the loud speaker and sighed, crossing her arms across her chest. The people who surrounded her didn't even react to the sudden increase in volume. _What's the point of coming to a football game if you don't even watch it?_

"Hey," Zach said, leaning close. "We were thinking of heading over behind the bathrooms. No one ever goes there, so we'd have more… privacy."

"All of us?" He nodded. "Uh. Sure, I guess." It couldn't be any more boring than standing here. They began walking.

"Good. Kevin says he has some stuff we can share."

Andy nearly fell on her face. _Does he mean what I think he means?_ They had only been dating a couple weeks, but Andy hadn't known him to use drugs.

"Um, I don't think-" but no one was listening to her, all already walking away. Andy glanced around, then followed. _Maybe it's not how it sounded,_ she reasoned.

It was, uh. Exactly how it sounded.

Andy stared at the joint Zach was trying to hand her and wondered if he could hear her heart trying to escape her chest.

"I don't really-"

"Andy!" She cringed and turned to look at Sam, who was striding toward them, his hands and jaw clenched and his eyebrows drawn together. He was livid. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing, I was just…" she trailed off when he started shaking his head.

"Come with me." His voice was deadly calm, and she didn't argue. As she stepped away from the group, Sam advanced, towering over Zach. "Stay away from her." Zach just looked away.

The drive home was very, very quiet.

The fight they had when they got there wasn't.

"You don't have to protect me from everything, Sam!"

"Clearly, I do! They had drugs!"

"It's not like I was going to smoke it." She got out of his truck and slammed the door. Sam followed, heading around the hood to face her. "Why don't you trust me?" she asked.

"I do, Andy. That's not the issue or the point. If they were caught, you would get in trouble just for being there, regardless of whether you'd actually done anything."

When she didn't say anything, he continued. "Even if they weren't caught, is this really who you want to be? Are they the people you want to be involved with? You're better than this, Andy. I know you. This isn't you."

Andy was suddenly, overwhelmingly ashamed. "You're right," she whispered. "You're right. I'm sorry, Sam. I don't know what I was thinking even dating him in the first place."

He stepped forwards, lifting his hand to brush her face. "It's okay, Andy. Don't do that, it's okay." She was surprised to realize she was crying.

"He's getting really bad." She leaned into him and he automatically wrapped his arms around her.

"Tommy?"

She nodded, and he pulled her closer.

"I know."

"Can I stay with you tonight?" Her voice was small, though she already knew what his answer would be.

"Of course." He kissed the top of her head and pulled back. "Hey. What do you call a pepper that won't leave you alone?"

She smiled despite of herself. "What?"

"Jalapeño business."

"Dork," she muttered; but she was smiling.

* * *

Two cans of coke and three episodes of "F.R.I.E.N.D.S." later, she turned and studied his profile. His dependability still amazed her; how she could always, _always_ count on him. _If you were a tree, Sam Swarek_, she thought,_ you'd be an oak._ Like the one between their houses, strong and lasting. He must have felt her staring because he glanced at her, then back at the T.V.

"Penny for them?" he asked.

"It's nothing."

He laughed. "You're always thinking about something. That brain of yours never stops."

"I was just thinking how thankful I am to have you in my life."

The plain honesty caught him off guard. He looked at her again. "Me too, Andy. You're the most important person in my life." She bit her lip.

"Thanks for having my back tonight."

"Partners," was his simple response.

* * *

_Andy: 16_

_Sam: 18_

* * *

Sitting in a plastic chair on the football field on a warm night in May, Sam feels invincible. Tonight marks the end of his high school days and the start of a new chapter in his life. He can be anything; do anything. He sits with his graduating class waiting for the last speech to finish, barely able to contain himself. He looks again to where Andy is sitting in the crowd. Every time he catches a glimpse of her, a grin has been firmly planted on her face, stretching across from one ear to the other. Their friendship had grown closer and stronger this past year, something he thought wasn't even possible. Every day he felt more drawn to her than the last, and he knew she felt the same.

He winks at her, smiling, and she points frantically toward the speaker's platform, telling him to pay attention. He can almost hear her unspoken words. _You're missing it, Sam! You only get to hear this once!_

Finally, the woman tells them to move their tassels to the other side of their caps and the ceremony comes to an end. He stands with the rest of the graduates as they threw their caps and, after retrieving one, heads over to his family. His mother and sister and Tommy stand behind Andy, who is bouncing on the balls of her feet and beaming.

The necklace he had bought her for her birthday last month catches his eye. _So you remember I will always be with you,_ he had told her when he presented it to her. Walking towards her now, his heart starts to beat more firmly. Not faster, but with more force, and adrenaline rushes through him. He has never felt more strongly than he does now.

It must show in his expression, because she stops bouncing and her eyes widen.

Five steps away. His heart is in his throat now. Four steps. The look in her eyes let him know she understands exactly what is about to happen, and he draws in a ragged breath. Three. He drops his graduation cap. Two. They reach for each other, drawn to the other like they had been since they first met. One. _I love you I love you I love-_

He fastens his mouth to hers and tugs her tight against his body. One hand finds a place in her hair as their lips move together, and she feels so familiar and warm and _right_ that he doesn't want to stop, but eventually he realizes Tommy is clearing his throat repeatedly and looking slightly embarrassed to be watching his daughter make out with her best friend. Sam pulls back and leans his forehead against hers, his eyes still closed. After a while, he finds his courage to look at her and finds her eyes shining back at him. She rests her hands on his chest and laughs freely and he can't help but smile back as she launches herself into a hug.

Standing there on the field, he is invincible. He presses a kiss to her head and vows to remember this moment for the rest of his life. His partner by his side, their family behind them. He wonders if the rest of his class is feeling part of what he is feeling right now.

Their entire lives are ahead of them, which is slightly daunting; but if only one thing is certain, it's that they will stick with each other, protect each other, and love each other. Like partners.

* * *

**A/N: I'm thinking this will be the last chapter. Sorry, but I don't have any more to write. I do plan to do different stories though, so look for a new one from me. I hope everyone has enjoyed this piece. I like hearing all your responses. Love always,**

**Bon.**


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